Winter's Twilight
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: In the aftermath of the winter war, there is betrayal. In the aftermath of the winter war, there is hope, there is death, and....there is love. IchigoxIsane, RenjixRukia, UraharaxYoruichi, InouexUryuu Fluff, angst, and character death.
1. Chill

A solitary figure appeared from a senkaimon, dragging with him a captive. A man, and a woman. The man wore a cloak, hiding all but his lower face, though the giant cleaver at his back lent a clue to his identity.

The woman, had long, silver hair, tied back in braids. She, unlike the man, did not wear a shihakusho or a hakama, rather, she was still dressed in a light blue nightgown, and from the look in her silvery eyes, quite upset.

"I missed you." He whispered into her ear.

She started slightly when they arrived, the dull buzz of sonido the only other sound in the night. She'd arranged the meeting place of course, somewhere along the eastern cost of Tokyo, as far from civilization as could be arranged.

She gave a slight wimper, collapsing into his arms, for fear of what he might do.

But something was wrong, for he stiffened slightly.

"You betrayed me." There had been hurt, pain in his eyes, now, it was replaced by smoldering anger, and all consuming rage. "I really trusted you, and this is what I get?"

"Wait...

"No."

The blade plunged through her gut.

A shallow wound, torn aside at the last moment.

Understanding reflected in his eyes, her eyes. Hate and love, exchanged in a single second. He turned to leave, refusing to spare so much as a glance as she fell.

She made a small sound, a sob, a whimper, a plea, begging him to stay.

He stopped in his tracks, his face slowly appearing over his shoulder as he curiously regarded the source of the sound. A look of irritation, then pity, crossed his eye's as they regarded the recovering Shinigami behind him.

"Don't move. You'll only bleed out."

Still, she struggled to stand.

"Why...?" She gasped, blood flecking her lips. "Why are you-

_"Enough."_ He warned, his words taking on an uncharacteristic edge, his eyes narrowing dangerously, _painfully_ as he watched his ex-lover struggle to her feet. "Don't expect me to show you any mercy, just because of what we had."

A pained look flashed across her face and he knew he'd struck home. They hadn't really had much of anything, before that heated kiss under the dome of Las Noches, but after that, it'd been _everything_.

He'd been fresh out of his hollow transformation, and Isane had been the one assigned to heal his wounds, before they set back out for Karakura.

There had been many wounded, and she'd given up using CPR on him, due to broken ribs. That left mouth to mouth resuscitation, and For some inexplicably awkward reason, perhaps a side effect of having his hollow power's so suddenly awakened, it worked, and upon reviving, he'd actually kissed her.

It'd been on and off after Soul Society 'won' against Aizen, in that week before the terrible calamity that had driven him away. They'd even had sex, albeit they'd both been a little hammered at the time.

"Isane." He pleaded, his hand trembling on the hilt of his sword, fighting its urge to finish it. "Don't." She could see his soft brown eyes, wavering, desperate not to do this, but if she rose...

"Release her."

He started, surprised, unaware, as they arrived. Three shinigami, each wearing a captain's haori. Thirteenth, Eigth, and fourth. But he soon recovered, a small, vicious smile playing across his lips, the tender moment gone and lost.

"My my," He snickered quietly. "Captains Jushirou Ukitake, Shunsui Kyoraku, _and_ Unohanna Retsu? All here just to kill _me_?" Placing one hand to his face, slightly covering his left eye, a small, amused chuckle followed. "I'm _flattered_."

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Unohanna Retsu was the first to speak, her calm features darkening into a fierce scowl, "You're under arrest for kidnapping a lieutenant of the Thirteen Court Guard."

"You've nowhere to go, Kurosaki." Shunsui's playful smile was nowhere to be seen now, and then again, neither was his ever present lieutenant, Nanao Ise. "Give it up."

"Hmph." Ichigo grunted, straightening himself up, pulling Isane with him. "And why, should I be doing that?" The lieutenant stiffened slightly, but he made no move to harm her, placing a soft, delicate kiss on her cheek.

She shuddered against him, and he gave her a brief, affectionate, squeeze followed by words that caught in her heart, words too soft for anyone else to hear. They'd take it for cruelty, but...

"Here." With a sudden shove, he pushed Isane towards the captains. "Take her." Retsu caught her subordinate in her arms, and Ichigo scowled, exposing pearly white teeth in a snarl.

"So," Shunsui continued, his thin smile tightening slightly , "I see that your little friend isn't here."

"I could say the same to you, _Captain_," Ichigo quipped back, causing the grin to fall from Shunsui's face at the remembrance of Nanao. "But my fraccion has another mission that she's on. So it's just _me_ you have to worry about today."

"Is that so?" Shunsui replied, all playfulness now gone from his voice, replaced with uncharacteristic venom. "Then that also means you can't use that technique of yours_?_"

"Nope." Ichigo replied, crossing his arms.

"Wonderful."

Ichigo didn't even _try_ to dodge, he simply raised a hand. Katen Kyoukotsu rang through the air, meant to slam into his left wrist and forearm, but were met by Zangetsu instead.

The moment Kyoraku realized he had a free hand, _that_ was the exact moment when the vizard began to laugh.

_"Getsuga Ten-_

Unohanna now came into play, forcing the vizard to bring his arm and blade, around his back, just to deflect the her zanpaktou. Instinctively, Ichigo whirled, bringing Zangetsu around as a shield.

"Nrgh!"

He'd known what to expect once he'd found himself surrounded. He was against three captains', possibly the strongest in the Gotei Thirteen, excluding old man Yama.

But he _hadn't_ been expecting such power, not from someone like Unohanna Retsu. It was if a tsunami had hit, and he'd been on ground zero. Zangetsu stood no chance, immediately, the sword was forced back knicking his forhead just before Kyoraku would've seperated his head from his shoulders.

With a scowl, Ichigo rolled away, but Unohanna pursued. Stamping his feet, the vizard held out his blade and uttered but one word as he clamped down, exuding a hellish reaitsu.

_"Bankai!"_

As he'd expected them too, both captain's violently proppelled themselves backwards at his sudden release. When the smoke had finally fallen, Ichigo stood before them a menacing sight.

"Whatsamatter? Scared?"

"If you're trying to intimidate us, Kurosaki," Unohana's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, as a glint flickered to life in her eyes, if only for a second."That...would be unwise." That second however, was enough for Ichigo to shrink back, and although he would not admit it, he was slightly… Intimidated by the normally gentle healer.

Rolling away, Ichigo denied the two captains' their targets, and fell back into the dirt, the ensuing cloud providing him with some cover. But Kyoraku was there, waiting for him as he rolled to his

"Say, Shunsui," Ichigo began rather quietly even as Kyoraku's arm began to tremble from the strain, "I haven't seen your lieutenant in quite some time. What happened to her again?"

Shunsui's only response was to go _shikai_, then fling a wall of wind straight at the amused ryoka.

"Bunsho Koma!"

The slice of wind rushed past, tossing Ichigo bodily into the air. Ignoring the thin slice in his chest, the vizard flipped belly up, digging his katana into the soil to slow the drag effect. Apparently, the taunt had stung, and he intended to make good use of it.

With one fluid motion, he drew a hand across his face. His Vizard mask was on now, the red and white streaks lining the left side of his face then the other half of his mask re-grew as he waved his palm over it, the white bone moving like milk as it molded itself into a ghastly skull. His gold and black eyes were still burning on the captain ahead of him.

**_"Here I come."_**

Kyoraku braced himself as Ichigo arced towards him-

"Wait, Kyoraku." Of the three, Ukitake still refused to draw his sword, and it was he who had restrained Shunsui, and he who had just stopped Ichigo cold. Perhaps he felt guilty in having pushed the boy this far, perhaps it was some small sentiment of understanding for Rukia's death, who knew?

Apparently, he still thought he could reason with the madman, even when said vizard had just threatened to kill Kiyone and Sentaro yesterday, and in public at the captain's meeting? " Kurosaki, just turn yourself in, and-

"Really?" He took a small step back,his words now directed at Kyoraku, even as his right foot fell into open air. "You say that there's _nowhere_ for me to go? Nowhere at all?"

Too late, the captains' realized what he was planning, but by then, he was already at the cliff. "Ja ne." Ichigo grinned, leaping backwards. He hung there for a moment, flipping his adversaries off, just as gravity took its hold.

But before he fell, his gaze fell on Isane.

He mouthed but one word, as the captains made to seize him.

_Sorry._

And so he fell, lost into the night.


	2. Dream

_Sorry._

And so he fell, lost into the night.

A small cry escaped her throat as the captains went after him.

Didn't they know?

Didn't they understand?

Then the screams began.

She shivered, shuddered, hugged herself tight as the body count grew. It wasn't hard to guess where Ichigo had gone now, as a dozen bodies flew into the air. After all, the screams of the dying shinigami now came from the forest below.

How could he do this?

How had this all _happen_?

Stop. Stop, stop stop stop! She wanted to go to him find him, take him by the shoulders, and shake some sense into him! It didn't have to be like this, it wasn't his fault!

"Ichigo!"

_Well well, you're quite the mess._

She found herself on a cold, frozen plain. The grass itself was stiff, as if everything had been flash frozen. She swallowed nervously, for those splothces of red smelled like blood. Tall moutains, taller than the Himalaya's themselves, sprawled across the horizon, piercing into the cloudy expanse before her.

_Beautiful, isn't it?_

With a swirl of snowflakes, there she stood.

_Hello to you too. _The look alike remarked cooly. _Now...wake up._

What?

--

"Isane....Isane, _wake up!"_

"Gah!"

She woke with a start, clutching her chest. Her eyes were wide, the breath misting before her in the cool winter of December. Unfamilair surroundings greeted her and panic seized her. She tried to rise, but it felt as if something were forcing her back down.

Frantic, she beat at her attacker, grabbed the thick, heavy object, and tossed it across the room. Immediately, she was rewarded with a startled yelp, punctuated by the loud crash of broken glass.

"Oi! What's wrong?!"

That voice!

"H-Huh?" She blinked, confused. "W-Wha?"

A pair of strong arms embraced her.

"You were having a bad dream."

"N-Nani? I-I was?" She stuttered, the haze slowly falling away from her eyes. There he was, Ichigo Kurosaki. Part of the Gotei Thirteen, Her long time lover for two _years _now, and soon to be promoted to captain of squad five. The memories returned now, and her shoulders drooped slightly. That dream...was just a dream.

They _had_ something, the two of them, and something beside sharing the first two initials of both their first and last name. She remembered now, last night had been _their_ two year anniversary, and the anniversary of the winter wars end, with Aizen and co being successfully driven back to Hueco Muendo. To celebrate he'd taken her out for a romantic candlelight dinner.

Not exactly his forte, but she'd been delighted. Even moreso that he'd been willing to tolerate stuffing himself into a suit, than that he'd actually take her somewhere, while agreeing to slip into his hated gigai.

With relief and sorrow, she clutched at him, seeking comfort in his strength.

He buried his face in her neck, enjoying the warmth of her skin on his cheeks and the smell of her hair in his nostrils. He felt her arms tighten around him and her breathing quickened, her breasts heaving up and down against his chest.

After almost a full minute, they pulled away from one another, his light amber eyes looking deeply into hers. "It wasn't real." He assured her, kindly softly, in only the way an experienced lover could. She wore a subtle expression of sadness on her face as she returned his gaze, accompanied by a small whimper as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

A myriad of fireworks went off inside her head.

"Hey," He broke the kiss, sat down beside her, and in the gentle glow of the candlelight, she recognized her room, as well as the thin cut the broken lamp had given him.

"O-Oh! You're hurt!" She cried, fingering the thin gash that spilled crimson onto the floor of the fourth division. "I'm so sorry!" He winced, and that only incensed her efforts to hold him still.

"I'm fine, really!"

But he allowed her to treat him, without protesting in the slightest as the dim green glow fell from her fingers and into his flesh. Timidly, she explained her dream to him.

Ichigo laughed, kissed softly again. "Why would I do that sorta thing anyways?" He grinned then, flashing his pearly whites in the dark. "I've got that award ceremony tomorrow, remember? And i'm pretty sure Rukia's gonna be alright."

"Mmhmm." She murmurred, the fera, the terror, only now slowly ebbing away, replaced by his comfort and warmth, but not nearly fast enough for her liking. Still Distraught, Isane sniffled, tears plinking down to her knees, staining the thin fabric of her nightgown. She felt the vizard's words, knew they were meant to console her, to ebb the tide of grief in her heart, but the pain only worsened.

"Shh." He whispered, and at last she relented. "If I can pry the Hogyoku out of Aizen," He cast a glance to the mantle, where the orb rested, secure with an ultra high level containment field. That was the reason Soul Society celebrated. With the Hogyoku safely in hand, Ichigo would be briefly returning to the world of the living tomorrow, and thus returning the Hogyoku to its creator, Urahara Kisuke.

His words came back to her, removing Isane from her reverie-Then I think I can handle a bad dream, hmm?"

She cast a glance at the clock, and saw that it was two in the morning. The ceremony was in just over five hours, and she'd woken him when he needed sleep the most.

_But was that just a bad dream? If so...why do I have this bad feeling..._

But he kissed her then, and as he pulled over the covers, she squirmed herself into his chest, desiring his warmth his comfort, wishing nothing more than to forget that horrible nightmare.

At that moment, as his hands found the bare skin of her waist, Isane realized something.

They were naked.

Those five hours flew by, and she lost all sense of time.


	3. Moonlight

"Are you certain you don't want to bring your lieutenant?" Ichigo grimaced slightly at that. Out of courtesy, and respect for Toshirou, he'd kept Momo on as his lieutenant, but the girl was clearly unstable from Aizen's betrayal, despite Hitsugaya's constant care.

He had nothing against the girl...he just didn't trust her to have his back.

Hence the reason for Rukia accompanying him on this one. In the past year, Byakuya had finally allowed her to become a seated officer, and upon doing so, she'd immediately taken up the long since absent lieutenant's positon under Ukitake.

There were even rumors going around that she'd achieved _bankai_...

"I'll be fine." He assured Isane, giving her a short, sweet kiss for emphasis. "It's just a quick drop off."

"C'mon, _captain_ Ichigo." Rukia tapped her foot impatiently, a small, knowing smile across her face as she overused his new title. "We need to go deliver the Hogyoku, _now_. You can _smooch_ later." He gave a small, irritated sight at that, but relented.

"I'll see you tonight." He promised Isane.

With one last kiss, he departed for the senkaimon.

--

"Hey, you're pretty cute."

"Thanks." He muttered to no in particular, earning a concerned glance from Rukia, both still sluggish from the trip, and from a hearty meal. It'd been a short one to get here, granted, but they hadn't gone to Urahara's immediately upon arrival.

Ichigo insisted that he visit Karin and Yuzu. Then there had been the ever constant scuffle with Isshin, who then of course insisted that the two stay for breakfast, then lunch....

"For a shinigami." The voice added suddenly, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Ichigo!" Rukia's scream, followed by the rapid Enkosen spell,was the only warning he received, before the attack came.

It had been so long, Ichigo realized, that he had nearly forgotten the distinctive punch of sonido, or the sensation of his ribs being broken from one powerful kick. Thankfully, his _body_ hadn't forgotten how to fight, and even as he plowed through the warehouse, he'd already regained his footing, and by the time the cero descended upon him, he, and the lieutenant were already gone.

--

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was positively _elated_. Even as the Seiretei ran about like incompetent buffoons, he remained at ease, relaxed, and perfectly, entirely calm, focused only on his latest discovery.

"The senkaimon is down!"

"Two arrancar detected!"

Alarms and klaxons went off en massed, drowning out the constant chatter of shinigami struggling to mobilize themselves for battle. Throughout this chaos, the captain of squad twelve tittered softly to himself, lightly amused by how unprepared they'd been for this.

The senkaimon breaking down hadn't been much of a help either. Now, in all likelihood, they'd have a a funerl for a dead captain and a lieutenant by the end of the day, rather than the planned celebration and festivities.

The red warning lights painted his already eerie face a sinister red as he stepped through the two steel doors, the barrier closing behind him, shutting out the noise.

He'd read the report, but he had to see it with his own two eyes.

Arrancar.

Two arrancar, two _espada class arrancar_, had just been detected in Karakura town. Needless to say, Soul Society was in an uproar, each squad scrambling to ready itself for battle, after several years of complacency.

Why would two espada appear, just as Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki were transporting the Hogyoku back to its rightful owner no less? The solution to this dilema was quite the obvious one.

The enemy desired the Hogyokou.

His fingers flew over the keyboard, bringing up the trademark viewscreen of the Research Bureau. Data was streaming in at this very moment, countless volumes of information that would be downloaded, catalouged, proccessed and stored for later use, later review.

"Hmm?"

Golden eyes narrowed slightly, his eerie smile fading at the sight that awaited him. Painted fingers danced across the keys, bringing up another camera, this one at a much closer angle than the first.

"Oh my, my, my. This certainly is quite the interesting development."

There, some miles north of the current battle, another garaganta had opened. The oddity of it was, that though a figure could clearly be seen emerging from it, there was absolutely no trace of reaitsu about him, shinigami, hollow, or otherwise.

The figure, for the camera could make out little more than bright red hair and white robes, stood there for a moment, then sped off to the east, leaving a vapor trail in their wake, a black streak that reflected against the moon and was then gone. Within moments, the camera's had lost track of them.

When all the data on this new phenomenon had been captured, the scientists rose from his chair, absentmindedly finger the hilt of _Ashisogi Jizo _as he departed from his lab_._

"Sir?" He didn't even have to glance to know that Nemu was by his side. Certainly her mind would be filled with questions, questions that he was currently seeking answers to. "Where are we going-

"Quiet, you blithering twit and let me think." He remarked with the usual insult, his gaze fixed straight ahead. The grin returned now, unnerving those who ran past, with various tasks to complete.

Captain Kurotsuchi sympathized with them entirely.

There was work to be done.

--

"This…" Ichigo said through clenched teeth and labored breaths as his body dodged through the streets of Karakura, "…is fuckin' bullshit."

The pair of green dumpsters next to them suddenly exploded as a _cero _descended upon them, missing the Shinigami by a hair's width before incinerating the metal containers. Ichigo rolled to the side as the blast extinguished upon the concrete, the sleeves of his black _kimono_ sizzling from the heat. With a quick twist of his body, he shook off his burning haori, threw himself off the concrete and quickly launched himself into a nearby alleyway for cover.

"Idiot, put me down!" Rukia complained as they took shelter behind a nearby dumpster. From the look on her face, she was refusing to admit that if he hadn't grabbed her wrist at the last second, then she'd likley be little more than ashes in the street.

"Aw, don't hide, captain!" A young, female voiced called out from the sky, prompting Ichigo to look up and confirm his worst fears. It was definitely an arrancar. Thankfully, she hadn't seen them yet, but all she had to do was look... "You're not nearly as handsome when you're hiding like a little boy!"

Wriggling out his grip, Rukia prepared to leap at the offending hollow, but once more, Ichigo grabbed her by the wrist, and this time, slowly shook his head. And from the look on his face, that didn't seem like a good idea. "Ichigo, what're you-

In response, the vizard bit down on his thumb, drawing blood. Confused, Rukia stared at him for a moment, her eyes widening in a mix of horror and understanding as her captain raised a single finger towards the arrancar.

Blood red, then violet light streamed into the digit, forming a small sphere, roughly the size of a golfball. Immediately, mingled with his blood, the cero swelled to immense proportions, bars of multicolored light jutting out at haphazard angles, until the sphere had lost all shape of form and density.

And still, the arrancar remained unaware.

With a small grin, Ichigo muttered three words.

"Gran Rey Cero."

The girl started in surprise, now aware of the immense blast roaring towards her. It'd come from below, and rather than choosing to block it, she wisely chose to leap back half a step.

Ichigo appeared suddenly, his sandals planting forcefully into the rooftop below his feet. He spun around to see a young Arrancar with greenish-flaxen hair and a horned ivory helmet. She wasn't wearing much, her skinny body covered by a thin vest and a skimpy set of briefs. Her legs were covered by a pair of tall white boots and her arms were wrapped in gloves that stretched up to her elbow. He couldn't see a zanpakuto was strapped to her little form, making her look even more vulnerable than her young appearance already did. She whistled again, her hands resting on her hips matter-of-factly.

"Aha!" A wide grin spread across her face. "Did you finally decided to come out and play, Mr. Captain?"

"It's Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki. Captain of squad five." There was no need to introduce himself, but it just seemed like the polite thing to do, after his two years of intensive training, his first victim-erm..._opponent_ deserved to know the name of their killer."So....who the hell're you?" Ended Kurosaki's reply, his eyes narrowing slightly as Rukia got into position below.

The girl laughed derisively.

"Oh? _You're_ Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Hey!" He snarled, offended by the remark. "What's that 'sposed ta mean?!"

"Nothing nothing!" She giggled, covering her mouth in a futile attempt to stifle her laughter.

"Shut up!" He snapped, exerting more and more of his spiritual pressure. "You're just a stupid kid!"

"Me?" Removing one hand from her otherwise boring hips, the girl gave him a dangerous smile. "I'm no kid. I'm Lillenette Gingerback." Without another word, she turned her back to him, but before the vizard could make sense of this gesutre, a small breeze blew by, pulling at her jacket.

Ichigo hissed in surprised as a large tattoo, taking up the entirety of her back was revealed. "_Primera_ Espada." She grinned, pointeing a dainty finger towards him, her words polite, yet mocking. "So, you gonna run and hide again, now that you know my rank, Ichigo-_kun?"_

_--_

Isane could not believe her ears, nor could she trust her eyes, when the senkaimon exploded immediately after the two officers had stepped through its portal. The senkaimon NEVER broke down. Apparently, the act had been sabotage, which of course, meant that there was a traitor in their ranks.

An attack?

In Karakura?

Now, when Ichigo was there?

Alone, as more and more arrancar continued to appear?

The feeling of dread grew steadily worse.

"Ichigo...

_--_

"Who said I was hiding?" Ichigo snarled softly as Zangetsu came free from its cloth wrappings, the moonlight softly glinting of its polished edge."Besides," With a flick of his wrist, he launched the massive blade toawards her, throwing it as if it were a flail, and spinning it as if it were a saw. "I could use some practice."

"Nice try, Shinigami!" The petite arrancar grinned, bringing her curved scimatar around to deflect Zangetsu's massive edge, batting the zanpaktou away as if it weighed next to nothing. No sooner had she done this, then a cold chill fell into the air.

"Some no mai...

As Zangetsu flew into the air, Ichigo propelled himself forward, tugging the cloth behind him as his feet left the rooftop. The captain smirked then, prompting a small frown from the otherwise perky hollow as her gaze fell to the streets.

"Tsukishiro!"

With a swish of shunpo, he _and_ _Zangetsu_ dissapeared, leaving her to face a new threat, that of Rukia Kuchiki and her first dance. "Huh?" Lillenette looked down and spat a curse as the pillar of ice rushed out to consume her. "Tch!"She spat, vanishing with a dull buzz, and reappearing to the left. "That won't work on me, soul reaper! I'm not some idiot like Di-Roy!"

To Rukia's frown, Lillenette laughed.

"That's right! I know all your moves! That little dance of yers won't work, no matter how many-

"Then _try_ this." Erupting out of the flash step, Ichigo was now directly behind her, blade raised and gripped with both hands, and ready to deal some damage. Too late, the _primera_ moved to pivot herself out of harm's away.

"_Getsuga_…" Ichigo snarled as energy began to swell along his blade, "_Tenshou!"_

The blue crescent of energy arced forward from point blank range. It plowed onward, pushing the girl backwards as she was forced to hold a block against the powerful attack. With a simple flick of her wrist, however, the Espada slashed the fang of energy in half. As her vision cleared, Lillenette saw that Ichigo and Rukia already flying towards her in the wake of the attack; the captain's enormous _shikai _now replaced by his smaller and more powerful _bankai, _the lieutenant's bland sealed sword replaced by the brilliant white of her _shikai_.

Their blades crashed against each other once more as Ichigo launched into a flurry of strikes, while Rukia kept to the left, performing a series of precise jabs that would occasionally slip through to slip of the child's _hierro_. Lillenette dodged and parried perfectly, her movements appearing effortless in contrast with her opponent's sloppy, rage-driven attacks. Ichigo suddenly jabbed forward with his zanpakuto, the black tip of _Tensa Zangetsu _aiming directly for her small chest. The Espada skipped directly backwards and quickly lifted her blade to counter Rukia, who fell back and away, bleeding at the shoulder. Ichigo's sword passed through the hole of her free fist, which closed, effectively halting Ichigo's strike.

The Shinigami tugged against the defense, but his zanpakuto was completely frozen within the hole, trapped within his opponent's sword. Rukia, perhaps realizing the danger, staggered to her feet and fired off a quick hado spell at the espada, only for the teal haired girl to swat it away with a retalitory bala, heaving the lieutenant deeper into the adjoining wall.

"Rukia!" Ichigo looked down up in fury as Lillenette reached up and grabbed his right forearm, further locking him into place. A small orb of junniper light began to swirl around in front of the Espada's uneen eye as she pulled Ichigo even closer to her. Her mouth opened as a malicious whisper emerged:

"_Cero."_

The large blast slammed into Ichigo, leaving a swath of charred earth in the ground as it drilled through and demolished the nearest building.

"_Ichigo!_" Rukia yelled as she rushed forward, blade aimed at the Espada in front of her. As she lifted _Shirayuki_ to strike, the punching buzz of a _sonido_ alerted her to another presence . She turned just in time to block this newcomer's attack, the powerful blow sending her leaping backwards to avoid breaking her sword against the recoil.

As the smoke cleared around the area, her violet eyes widened as she saw her attacker.

"Shit," she hissed to herself as the espada tattoo was clearly revealed upon the woman's breast, and said woman had now drawn her sword _and_ approached _her_. "Shit shit shit!"

"And here I had thought," the slender, and tan woman said as she ignored the lieutenant's obvious shock, "that you Shinigami didn't do two-on-one fights?"

"_We don't," _came Ichigo's reply as he stood from the rubble caused by the _cero. _His Vizard mask was on now, the red and white streaks lining the left side of his face while the right half remained gone, shattered by the _cero's _blast. His clothing was tattered slightly and his left sleeve was completely gone. His gold and black eyes were still burning on the Arrancar ahead of him.

"I see," Lillenette smirked, as she coldly regarded her Shinigami opponent. "So you used your hollow mask to strengthen your _reiatsu_ and block my _cero."_

Ichigo said nothing as he lifted his left hand up to the exposed side of his face. With a swift movement, the missing half of his mask re-grew as he waved his palm over it, the white bone moving like milk as it molded itself into a ghastly skull.

_"Rukia. I need you to run."_

He could tell that his words had hit her hard. Her eyes flew open at the command, her violet irises glaring at him incredulously. Her lips parted to speak, but the words failed to fall from her mouth. He took this fortuitous chance to continue.

_"They're espada damnit,"_ he hissed through tired lips, his dark irises finally glancing through the mask, over to her._ "You_ know _that you can't beat him. Leave me here to fight; you need to get away."_

"Ichigo," Rukia said with an air of anguish, her brows tightening over her eyes. "How _dare_ you ask me to leave you to—"

_"Urusai!" _Rukia started slightly as he pressed a small spherical device into her arms, and knew, without looking, it was, had to be, the Hogyoku. Her eyes widened in anger. These arrancar, they weren't here just to kill a captain, though that was certainly a bonus to them. They'd come here to steal back the destructive orb, and just by glancing at her longtime friend, she could tell Ichigo had already come to the same conclusion shortly before she. _"Just take it and get outta here!"_

"I-

_"Rukia,"_ He pleaded. _"GO!"_

At that moment, the arrancar noted the small object concealed by Rukia.

"Oi, Halibel," Lillenette said without taking her eyes off of Ichigo, "get the lieutenant, will ya?"

"Of course." The blond replied, releasing her spiritual pressure to that effect. As Rukia staggered under the unexpected weight, Halible chose that moment to strike. Without so much as a word, the _tercera _Espada charged at Rukia, spurring the Shinigami to vanish in a burst of _shunpo._

Tia Halibel vanished in a flash, the buzz of her _sonido _tearing into the air for only a second and hardly interrupting the silence that was being held by the other two combatants. Ichigo's glare continued to harden as the seconds ticked by, his fury building and burning within him. Lillenette smirked.

"Aw, are you angry that she ditched your ass?" she asked, the mockery all but dripping from her voice. "That you won't get to watch her die?"

_"__Shut the fuck up!" _Ichigo yelled, his voice distorted by the surge of hollow _reiatsu _that erupted from his body. He rushed forward, a black and crimson sheet of energy wrapping itself around his blade as he closed the distance between the two of them in a heartbeat.

Lillenette had thought herself prepared for his assault, but when it came, she realized just how foolish she had been to remain in one place for such a length of time.

She hadn't been expecting this kind of speed.

Kurosaki Ichigo buzzed into view, his body blocking the Arrancar's, his eyes glaring out coldly from behind the frightening grin of his Vizard mask. With a hiss, he swung his zanpakuto, a black _Getsuga _rocketing out from the tip of his sword and swallowing the Espada within the dark energy.

The blast picked her up and threw her body into the air, while her mind tried to process what'd just happened. A shadow fell over her, and

A bright ball of crimson light began to form in front of Ichigo's face, the sphere of deadly energy swirling powerfully in front of the ghastly grin of his mask. Lillenette hissed in surprise; she knew that the Vizards were part Hollow, but she hadn't known that they could use Hollow techniques this effortlessly.

The cero drilled into her abdomen launching her into the ground, where she remained, . With a snarl, Ichigo pursued, his uniform in tatters, marching forward at the frightened Arrancar. Lilenette was retreating, her feet shuffling backwards as her eyes trained on the Vizard in front of him.

He forced her back, down, her sword splintering, cracking under his relentless assault. _"Getsuga Tenshou." _Pink eyes widened, as the energy fang struck her full on, depositing her into another building. She snickered in amusment as she picked herself out of the debris.

"Nice reaitsu." She grinned, nursing her dislocated arm, weakly grasping the hilt of her sword. "I guess _he_ was right, you really are like us." Ichigo didn't reply, instead, he launched himself at her again, drilling _Zangetsu_ home, deep into her shoulder. But the effect was not as expected, for the espada continued to laugh, and now her smile became sinister. "That's right. Follow your instincts."

He growled at her, withdrawing _Zangetsu_ with a sharp tug.

_"I'm nothing like you, arrancar."_

"But...you still have a stronger form, dont'cha?"

Ichigo stiffened.

"How do you know about _that_?"

"Does it matter?" Lillenette chuckled quietly, staring up at him with an amused glint in her eyes. "I can tell, just by looking at you. You can take your hollowfication one step further."

"Lemme guess," The captain replied snarkily, vaguely reminded of Dordonii, "You wanna see it, right?"

"Well," The espada shrugged, her words taking on a whole new meaning as her smile deepened into a fierce, brooding scowl. "You'll have to use it...once I release. Then you'll know how helpless I felt when you bastards took Starrk away from me."

Ichigo turned his attention her sword, then stamped on it.

Still, she laughed.

"I don't need my sword to release."

A bolt of blue light erupted from her body, just as _Tensa Zangetsu_ descended upon _her_. Suddenly, it stopped, unable to penetrate, unable to move even the slightest inch. There, Lillenette Gingerback had stopped his _bankai_, with his _mask_, and used only one finger to do it.

"Kick about." She snarled, her sword shattering under the weight of her suddenly massive reaitsu, the Getsuga evaporating before it could even hope to connect.

"Los Lobos!"


	4. Bloodbath

"..."

As the smoke cleared, the espada was revealed in all her glory. Dangling from her hands, she now wielded two ornamental guns, one that appeared to be longer than the other. Part of Lilynette's mask was still present on her head in the form of an eyepiece, stretching from the back of her head around to the left eye, with the flame pattern apparently changing at will to emerge from the eyepiece and follow the mask fragment around to the back of her head. The mask itself was still connected, by two chains, around the right eye, vaguely reminding Ichigo of Kenpachi's eyepatch.

But it was her _body_ that had gone through the most drastic of changes. No longer was she a short spry little thing, but rather, she had experienced a major growth spurt, in many more ways than one.

Her Arrancar outfit had changed drastically as well; though her upper body's open vest now sported a a fur-lined brassiere which contained a full cup of DD breasts. He figured she now stood roughly the same height as captain Soi fon, give or take an inch. Beneath this, her legs were covered in some kind of dark skin-tight white pants, accentuated with a dip in the waist, clearly outlining the curves of her full figured body. Oddly enough, knee-high fur leggings covering the lower legs, and though her arms kept the elbow gloves, they too were covered in some kind of elbow-length fur that appeared to end at her wrists.

Lastly, there are also appeared to be ribbon-covered bullet belts emerging from her upper back and disappearing into her upper forearms. Standing this close to her, it was easy to sense the killer intent radiating from the young woman that Lillenette had become. Slowly, she now rose from her crouch, short green hair framing the corners of her face, only ruffled by the occasional breeze.

Overall, her eyes, and hair color,were the only things that had stayed the same.

"How's _this_ then, captain?" She smiled seductively, her voice husky, that of a mature woman, amused by Ichigo's startled stare. " Is this....sexy enough for you?"

Apparently, she hadn't lost her fiery personality.

"Alright then!" She grinned, snatching up her artillerly from the sands, cocking the barrel, and pointing them in the direction of a very surprised Ichigo Kurosaki. "Time for the ass kicking of your life, shinigami!"

_"If you think you can," _Raising Zangetsu, the vizard took his stance, preparing himself for the worst. _"Come and get me!"_

"_Cero."_

He didn't have time to react – the attack came from too short a distance. The junniper green beam slammed against his chest and sent him spiraling backwards into the eastern wall of the piazza. His vision was dizzying slightly as he stopped moving and the heat of the _cero _dissipated from his body, but he was able to see the light blue sky above him as he struggled to get up.

Lillenette appeared beside him, and by the time he'd registered her apperance, another cero

Only to find himself staring down the barrel of twin pistol's.

Pink light radiated from the tips of her guns, ready to be released.

"_Cero Metralleta."_

A massive wave of _cero _erupted from the pistol's and rained downwards at Ichigo. He scrambled to get up and run, but he knew he wasn't going to make it. The wall of red was quickly descending upon him – he could feel its heat on his retreating back. He turned and crossed Tensa Zangetsu over his body in an attempt to guard himself from the blast, his eyes closing as the Hollow inferno charged closer.

The explosion came, and there was pain, burning, as the upper half of his shihakusho smoldered away. Somehow, he managed to get out in time, staggering out of the smoke, hacking coughing, gasping for air.

"Damnit!" He wheezed, scowling darkly at her. The explosion had ripped all but a quarter of his mask away, leaving the eye and the teeth of the white plaster remaining, cracked, and on the verge of breaking. "You...little...BITCH!"

"Damn straight." Lillenette grinned, her reply teasing, playful even as she strode over to him. "But if you think these are 'little'," She gave her cleavage an appraising glance for emphasis. "Then you need glasses, buddy."

Ichigo was about to give a smart reply of his own, when he felt Rukia's reaitsu plummet well below acceptable levels. _'Rukia!'_ The color drained from his face, strangling what he'd been about to say. Lillenette must've sensed it as well, for a sly smile crept across her face, turning towards the bedraggled vizard. "Look's like your little friend is almost dead, captain. I warned you, didn't I?"

Ichigo grit his teeth together in frustration.

_'NO! I won't let that happen!'_

Blurring forward, he lunged for Lillenette, but the espada skipped backwards, leaving Zangetsu to pass through empty air. With a delighted giggle, she lashed out with her left heel, clipping Ichigo in the temple.

There was a sharp crack, and the captain staggered back, bleeding at the right eye.

With a frown, Ichigo clenched hand into a claw, redonning his mask. "Fine then. But you'll only see it for an instant." Again, he performed the same motion, this time, yanking on the already repaired mask, but the black reaitsu grew over his face and smothered it, smothering his frustrated growl as his hair began to grow out into a long, ragged mane, his skin taking on a chalk white tone as the effects began to spread

Lillenette could only blink as she beheld the change. It, the creature, was barechested, but now a hollow hole could be seen, dead center in its chest where she'd blasted out his heart. He gave a low growl as he seemed to notice something was amiss here.

He still had a mask, this one resembling more of a human skull, complete with a jaw joint and rounded forehead. From the back of the mask, four spike-shaped marks stretched, two of them stopping by the forehead, and the other two stretching past the eyes and teeth, going past his chin and joining with the marks on his chest. There were also small marks resembling a heart, but with the top and bottom open, extending from the inner corners of his eyes.

But the mask's most prominent features were two long forward-pointing horns with black strips extending from their center towards the tips. This new form, with that mask...He looked more like a vasto lorde than anything else.

Ichigo extended a hand, and Zangetsu flew to him, shearing up the street as it went, leaving a large furrow in its wake. With an audible pop, it landed back in his palm, creating concussion force that shattered a nearby building into a thousands fragments. Jamming the sparking pole into the crumbling wall, what was left of the debris dissolved.

The beast huffed once, apparently satisfied, then turned its attention to Lillenette. She blinked in surprise as it lumbered towards her, stopping only with less than a foot to separate them.

With a punch of sonido, it dissapeared, then reapeared behind her.

All in an eyeblink.

Lillenette could only turn and stare up at the behemoth that gently touched her cheek with a clawed hand, opening her cheek in the process of doing so. He loomed over her, this creature that radiated power, power that now hissed and spit at the air around them.

Lillenette finally found her voice. "So...that's it, huh?" The moment lost, the beast removed its hand, glared at her. It shook itself, tossing its mane wildly, spiritual pressure deafening to all those present. "This is your true form?" It frowned her then, slowly brought its gaze to hers...

_**"OOOOOOOOH!"**_

**_--_**

_"Azul projectyle."_

For the third time since Halibel had chased her down, Kuchiki Rukia skidded to a halt, the swathe of blue light missing her face by on a hair's length as it connected with the dumpster she had taken shelter behind. Cursing her luck, the shinigami turned to flee, grasping the gaping slash wound that ran from her right shoulder down to her hip in a vain attempt to stem the flow of blood.

She'd long since given up trying to face the espada in direct combat, after the brief skirmish, she'd been wounded, and badly. If she didn't get medical treatment, and soon, she'd die from blood loss.

Provided she didn't die first.

Rukia stiffened her eyes narrowing as a sinister reiatsu rose into the air, followed by that terrible, bonechilling roar that froze the blood in her veins. She'd felt this, once before, during her battle in Las Noches, coming from the dome. Ichigo, she realized. This reaitsu was Ichigo. He was using that...power of his again, a power that was meant only to protect, or only to destroy.

_Ichigo..._she swallowed nervously, suddenly, _very_ grateful that he'd sent her away from the front lines. But at the same time, she felt overwhelming anxiety and concern for her best friend. For him to pull out his true form meant one of two things. (A) He was either very very pissed off, or and most likely (B) He was getting his ass kicked and had no other choice then to pull out all the stops.

Still, that he'd even used his second hollow form at all was enough cause for her to seriously worry. _Are you really having that much of a hard time with her that you have to use IT?_

At least one thing was certain.

His opponent didn't stand a chance against it, not unless they could pull a segunda etapa. She'd seen him in action once before, and knew firsthand the terrible power that form wielded, was even greater than it had been two years ago.

Halibel paused, concern reflecting in her eyes.

"You seem at ease soul reaper."

Rukia nodded. "I am."

"Why?" The tercera asked as another tremor shook the street beneath them. "Have you made peace with yourself and are prepared to die?"

"No." Rukia sighed to herself, smiling despite her grievous wounds. "That's not it at all, espada. You see, I'm laughing...because your _friend_ is about to die."

Halibel scowled behind her mask.

"If that's the case, then I will spare you your misery and end this with my _resureccion _so that I may go and assist her._"_

Tilting her sword down, the espada uttered but two words.

_"Attack, Tiburon!"_

As the swell of water swallowed the espada, Rukia saw her chance.

_"Some no mai!"_ The words spilled from her lips, _Sode No Shirayuki_ flaring a brilliant, blinding white as its wielder _shunpoed_ forward as close as she dare, before the espada could finish her transformation.

_"Tsukishiro!"_ With a sharp, precise slash, she drew the circle, freezing the espada within her own element. That wouldn't be enough, this she knew,so again, Rukia began her dance, this time, stabbing the ground with quick, jerky movements._ "Tsugi no mai!"_

"Hakuren!" The blast of icy power rushed towards the splintering pillar.

"Hiriviendo." Came the reply from within the heart shaped sphere, and a wall of water rushed to meet the second dance. With a violent explosion, the ice evaporated into steam, leaving Rukia so stare helplessly, hopelessly as Halibel burst from her confines, entirely unharmed.

As her technique melted against the boiling current, Rukia knew any miniscule chance she had of running away were long gone. She'd barely been able to outrun Halibel _before_, and now, as her vision grew dim and hazy under the mist, she could tell that the espada had no intentions of letting her leave here alive.

With a sharp hiss, Halibel cut her way out of the remainder of her vortex, and swung.

Rukia arched her head back as Halibel's white blade burst through _Sode no Shirayuki,_ stained itself red, then pulled away.

"You fought welll...

Vaguely, she could here the espada speeking, but the words came to her through a fog.

...Commend you on your efforts....

She could only wonder, wonder why. Why did she feel so cold?

...over now."

Was it the frigid night air? Did it stem from the blood loss, or had she been already been stabbed through and not yet realized it? Whatever the cause, whatever the source of her strength leaving her, she hadn't the strength to bring herself to look, nor could she make her battle weary body move.

Dimly, she was aware of another reiatsu, closing in fast. It was large, just above that of Ichigo's, though She couldn't tell friend from foe at this point, she was just too tired, so very...very tired.

With a small sigh, Rukia Kuchiki could only close her eyes and pray for her end, whatever it may be, to be a quick and painless one. The last sound she heard was Halibel's startled hiss, her last sight that of a hulking shadow wearing a huge, demented grin.

"Heh. This outta be a good fight."

--

The hand that cupped Lillenette's cheek now lashed out, _smacking_ her with such force that her ears popped, and her vision went a blinding white white. Every muscle in her body screamed as her she skidded across the pavement, before finally colliding with a nearby SUV, the metal frame bending and twisting around her as steel gave way to _hierro_.

Startled by the unseen collison, the unfortunate driver of said vehicle stopped where he was, gaping of the wreckage of his car, the bag of groceries falling from his limp hands, to spill upon the sidewalk.

Taking his attention to the nearest weapon he could procure, the vizard lashed out, snagging a nearby car right off the freeway. Tires squealed against the road, prompting an annoyed snarl from Ichigo. With but a grunt, he shook the driver and passengers free of the taxi, then, once certain all bystanders were indeed clear, leveled it at the arrancar.

Still working to free herself, the espada could only seethe helplessly as Ichigo heaved the cab at her, breaking the nearby guardrail and launching her, car and all, over the edge.

marched towards her with a tireless stride. Raising an arm, she fired off a few rounds at him With a snarl, the beast whirled, planting its foot firmly in her gut, launching her into the air...

When another unseen explosion carried his ride into the air, he decided to call his lawyer.

**_(Music change: Invasion)_**

"I see." Reaitsu swirled from her hand. "Well, you're probably spoiling for a fight about now, so why not?." The current circled his index finger, then at his command, lunged, hoping to drown the monster before it could move. "Let's get this party started!"

It seemed vaguely aware of the incoming attack, but still, made no effort to dodge. No, it stood firm in the wake of the technique, for the terrible current had not struck home. No, the creature emerged from the steam, dripping wet, but entirely unharmed.

_'He dodged?'_

Saffron eyes narrowed as light gathered once more from the tips of her guns'.

_"Cero Metraletta!"_

It snorted, as if in contempt, then raised its horns in a trio pointed edge. Violet red light flickered at its tips, coalescing into the distinctive, fluctuating soccer ball sized sphere that was a cero.

Lillenette Ginberback fired seconds later.

It howled at her, and a tug of war ensued. Red, pink. The two pinpoints of light crashed against one another, creating a sphere as the reaitsu surged and buckled under their feet. Within seconds Lillenette realized her disadvantage. Whatever this new strength was, it was too much for _her _cero to handle. With a dull thump Ichigo overpowered the thousand cero and the fire rushed forward to consume its owner. The creature tilted its head as if in confusion as she was lost from sight.

But not for long.

With a punching sound, she was suddenly behind him, leveling the barrel of her weaponry straight at his head. Ichigo twitched, jerking his head sharply to the right as she carved a thick gash from his right shoulder to his back, but no sooner had the steel left his chalky white flesh then it did heal, flawlessly.

She hissed in surprise, wiping the blood from her hand.

"Instantaneous Regeneration?! You gotta be fuckin' kidding me!"

With a shriek, Ichigo rounded on his enemy.

Lillenette had no choice now but to take the attack, the powerful sword opening a slice down her belly. The gash ran down along her flat stomach, in addition to the dark crimson that leaked from his hollow hole. Thankfully, her _hierro _proved strong enough to render the wound non-fatal, but blood still stained the ground beneath his feet as she continued her leap backwards.

_"Impossible."_The espada hissed, touching a finger to the blood that was now trickling down her gutted stomach. "How could you have cut me?" Ichigo's response was to click his tongue, stamp a foot and raise his reiatsu. Red light exploded from his body, and he leapt at her once more.

"I see," the pallid arrancar said slowly, her spiritual pressure rising to match the vizard's. Ichigo bellowed at her, but the espada suddenly whirled, leveling her attack at the nearby building.

_"Bala."_

A massive explosion suddenly crashed through the back wall of the hotel, causing Ichigo to take his attention off of her and _sonido _towards a small group of tourists in a desperate attempt to shield them from harm. The bala hit his chest with a dull crunch, throwing him into hotel, which collapsed around him, but not for long.

As terrified bystanders ran for cover from the unseen assault, the rubble shattered as Ichigo burst back into view. As he appeared again, he found the _primera_ directly across from him, her gun pointed at his chalk white chest as she trapped him between the incoming cero and her deadly weapon, blocked by Tensa Zangetsu. Black light began to swell along the edges of her gun and a small smirk crossed her face.

The hardened bullet of reiatsu launched forth, its piecing tip aimed directly for Ichigo's head. The beast raised a hand and the blast turned to steam against his hand, the mist vanishing back into the blade.

Lillenette vanished suddenly, her body vanishing in a buzz of tan and white. She swiftly appeared behind her shinigami opponent and fired off a twin pair of _cero , _the two missiles screaming through the air towards the hollows turned back.

The creature raised its free hand, and sliced them clean in half with Zangetsu performing the same feat again. Scowling, Lillenette retreated again, but now, found it difficult to breathe. The air had become laden with heat, a thick dry sky that was deprived of any and all humidity.

She soon found the answer as Ichigo stabbed the sword into the ground and a wall of Getsuga flames rushed at her.

_Reishi._

Indeed, the power stemmed from his blade, which was greedily absorbing many spirit particles from the air. They wreathed across his skin as if they were alive, crawling over his chalky white flesh like unearthly vines. He roared a challenge and flung the the getsuga like flames at Lillenette, cutting through another useless cero as if it were dust.

_She was being overpowered._

With a buzzing shock, Lillenette was directly in front of Ichigo, creating a sword of energy from one of her many bandoliers. With a shriek, she swung, crashing the newly created weapon into Zangetsu. Ichigo blocked with the same lethargic force that seemed to move his hand a moment ago. But it was enough to spur his weapon forward, causing the Arrancar to repel back forcefully. Another sound, this one the dull punch of sonido reached her ears too late. Ichigo was already there, behind her, carving into her back as if his skin were made of paper, not impenetrable steel.

Blood spurted from the space between her shoulder blades, prompting a small grimace. Refusing to give him the satisfaction of crying out, Lillenette whirled on him, but Ichigo seized the sword with his bare hand, shattering it without so much as an effort.

With a dull crunch, he moved on, seized her arm, cold, black eyes boring into the surprised orbs of the _primera_. A fierce hiss erupted from behind the mask, and he pulled his hand from the limb, taking the entire appendage, _hand and all_ with it, leaving little more than a trail of blood in his wake.

**_"OOOOOOOOOOH!" _**A deafening roar bled into her ears, leaving her dazed both by screams of Ichigo, The loss of her arm, and the degree to which she'd been overwhelmed. Discarding Tensa Zangetsu, Ichigo used his new power to leap at his foe, wrestling with the espada for a moment, then, and with but a snarl, he struck one last time.

The final blow, stained Zangetsu red with blood, as Lillenette fell, collapsing on her back, gasping for air. Unable to maintain her resureccion any longer, her features shrank, healing her wounds, restoring her arms, returning her to an exhausted little girl.

Defeated.

"Damn...it..." The primera wheezed, glaring up at him, this muscle bound hollow that had beat her to a pulp, with that last slash that'd nearly split him in two, and she'd lost a lot of blood to boot. "To lose... to be beaten...like this......how...ridiculous..."

**_"..."_**

Ichigo planted his foot firmly upon her skull, and with a grunt, the hollow leveled its horns at Lillenette. His intent was murderously clear as the he growled at her, making it clear what he would do should she try a sneak attack.

"Crap." She gapsed at last, smiling even when she had lost. "I guess I underestimated you."

With a grunt, he diverted the kicked her in the head, leaving her unconcious. Slowly, the mask splintered from his face, leaving a weary and exhausted Ichigo in the behemoth's place.

"Hell ya you did."

For some reason he just couldn't bring himself to kill her, but then again, he couldn't leave her, and he certainly didn't want to just carry her around as baggage.

Turning his gaze to the west, he could still sense Rukia's reiatsu, but it was barely there, dwarfed by that of Halibel's, and another's. Moments later, a wild, battle crazed laugh rose into the air, followed by a pillar of yellow skull reiatsu. Amber eyes widened slightly as he recognized it as that of an ally.

A small, slight smile crossed his face.

"No friggin way...

With a slight wince, he favored his right leg, for his left had some debris, that of sharp stone, lodged in his thigh. After testing it to make sure the limb wouldn't fail him, Ichigo Kurosaki, hefted Lillenette over his shoulder, took one last sorrowed glance at the ruined street, and departed in the direction of his unlikely rescuer....


	5. Mala Suerte

Halibel Tia paused, Tiburon slowing just before it could cut the throat of her prey. A massive reaitsu had just burst into existence behind her, and she knew immediately, without glancing, that it belonged to that of a captain.

"Who....are you?" She asked the shadow that loomed over her, only now turning to face him.

"Heh." He chuckled, unsheathing an exceptionally long blade, a nodachi. "You look strong, arrancar." She noted, with some disdain, that the sword was worn and ragged, as if it'd seen one too many battles, and never once been polished or sharpened in its considerable lifetime.

"Whaddya say?" He grinned broadly, exposing sharp, pearly white teeth in a face splitting laugh. It was slightly disconcerting in that moment, how much he reminded her of Nnoitra, with his grin, his obvious battle lust, and unusual weapon...

"Let's get this started. huh?!"

"Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of squad eleven." He replied with a tone that warned he wasn't going to wait any longer. With a small frown of annoyance, Halibel lifted her sword to counter, and in turn, the shinigami slammed bodily into her.

He was as strong as he looked.

"Tres espada, Tia Halibel." She introduced herself as well, and in response, he struck, badly startling her as the sword cut through where she'd been but a moment ago.

"Oh?" Inexplicably, his grin now widened into a demented cackle as he charged, ingorning the gashes and slashes upon his chest. "So you're stronger than that last one I fought, eh?"

Halibel scowled slightly at the mention of Nnoitra. Granted, she absolutely loathed the quinto espada when he was alive, perhaps even moreso now that he was dead, and their ranks were scattered...

But she had no intention of tolerating an insult to a fallen comrade.

"Cascada!"

_(Five minutes later)_

_Ba-dump._

Erupting out of the shunpo, his feet scraped against the ground, amber eyes widening as he skidded to a an abrupt stop as his eyes confirmed what he already knew. Indeed, there, raging against Halibel Tia, in all his madness and might, having the time of his life was Zaraki Kenpachi.

"Yo, Ichigo." The captain grinned, visage appearing over his left shoulder, eyepatch long since ripped away. As he became distracted, Halibel leapt for what she clearly saw as an opening, only for the massive shinigami to turn and kick her several yards away, that single blow catapaulting the _tercera_ back into the nearby chapel in which they'd been fighting. "Long time no see, eh?"

"Kenpachi!" A strange mix of gratitude and anxiety welled up, giving his voice an uncharacteristic edge."What're you doing here?!"

"Beats me." Kenpachi shrugged, shouldering his ragged blade. "They got the senkaimon up and runnin' so I came here to enjoy myself." At that moment, Halibel struck, but Kenpachi grinned ramming his elbow into her ridged sternum. "The other captain's oughta be here soon." He turned his gaze slightly to the right."Ya might wanna take a look at her though. She's pretty cut up."

Aways behind him, Rukia lay there, lifeless, unmoving, and it tore at Ichigo's heartstrings to see this. "_Rukia!" _he yelled, his eyelids squeezing together tightly as he barked at her, as if she'd wake from the puddle of blood that pooled from her chest if he called her name.

With a whisper, Kuchiki Rukia vanished. Through a fuzz of sound, he heard someone call out some random _bakudo _spell, and his gaze snapped around to see a familair figure with bright pink hair on the nearby rooftop.

Yachiru.

"Don't worry! I got her, Icchi!" Setting her down, the lieutenant began to administer healing kido to the wound. Momens later, he felt her _reiatsu _return, his mouth turning up in a remorseful smile as he painfully rejoiced in the fact that she still clung tenaciously to life. He slowly opened his eyelids, the remaining tears blurring his vision as he blinked to clear them.

And nearly lost his head because of it.

_Behind you!_

He didn't turn, but yanked on his mask all the same, threw his arm out catching the sword, barehanded, ignoring the blood that welled up in his palm as the blade skidded to a halt. There was a brief gasp of surprise from his attacker, seen in the espada's eyes, for as he turned, the vizard's golden black orbs glared into his junniper green slits with an all too obvious intent.

"Ulquiorra." He growled, surprised, but more angry that not, to see the espada alive and well before him. Gripping the sword tightly, he felt it dig deeper into his flesh "So you're still alive." What could be seen, was a long scar starting at his neck, but the white hakama hid the rest of it. It was the slash he'd given him years ago, the one that supposedly killed him.

"So it would seem." The espada replied coldly. "However, I cannot say the same for your friend." Ichigo snarled then, lashing out with such force that the espada momentarily staggered back then, before he regained his balance.

"Are you certain that was wise?" The espada let his his eye train on Yachiru, who even now worked frantically to close the gaping hole in the chest of her fellow fuku-taichou. "She'll die soon if she doesn't receive proper medical attention."

"Heh."Behind the perpetual smile of red and white porcelain Ichigo snarled, taking one, then two steps forward, until the ebony black tip of Tensa Zangetsu brushed against Ulquiorra's ashen skin."You should be saying that to yourself."

"!!"

_"Getsuga.."_ Ichigo growled, and the _cuarta_ espada stiffened suddenly, but to no avail, the vizard held him fast. Pale eyes widened in fear against the dark light as they at last realized the impending lethality of this attack, "_Tenshou."_

Moments later, the black energy fang leapt from _Zangetsu_, and into Ulquiorra, tearing him away from the vizard, ripping into his skin with blistering force as he was forced to take the block barehanded. There was another swish of shunpo, and Ichigo was there, _Tensa Zangetsu_ raised and ready to rain down another _Kuroi Getsuga_ at his head.

Ulquiorra suddenly swung his sword with gusto, batting away both the offensive strike and its wielder. Ichigo lurched back in surprise, trying to ignore the gash blossoming down the length of his shoulder. With a grunt, he threw a _shakkaho_ at the arrancar, who in turn raised a hand and swatted it away.

Noting the small burn on his palm, the espada scoffed and brushed it off on his coat.

"You've become weaker, Kurosaki." Ulquiorra pointedly raised a finger from his fist as he said this, a thin smirk tugging at his usually scowling dispassionate visage. "Is it because you've become more human?"

"I could say the same for you." Ichigo spit at him, but that was all he could do. Block, dodge, evade, retreat, and repeat. Ulquiorra seemed to realize this, as his attack changed from precise stabs to powerful thrusts and and parries, mixed together with long, overhanded sweeps of his sword.

When Ichigo tried to keep his distance and resort to using Getsuga, the espada too changed tactics once again, loosing a hail of bala and cero on the battered vizard, most of which failed to connect, but made the hybrid dance around enough to sap what little strength he had remaining.

_Dumbass! _His hollow snarled, the frustration more than evident within his voice as they basked within the afterglow of another near miss, fading away from sight as he sidestepped the storm, only for a stray _cero_ to slam into him._ Lemme out! I can kick his ass!_

_"Urusai! We had a deal and I don't plan on breaking it!"_

But his other half was right. He was tired. Dead tired, exhausted and worn out from his battle with Lillenette. He couldn't transform again, not without likely both risking, and _losing_ his sanity to his hollow half.

"_Shit_," Ichigo hissed as he dragged himself out of the wreckage of a recently collapsed building. One that had been standing moments before Ulquiorra had hurled his body into it. "_Shit, shit, shit."_

He stood on shaking legs as he raised his sword back up to a more level position. His arms were shaking as he pointed it at the espada, the slim Arrancar's cold eyes glaring down from beneath messy black hair Ichigo still couldn't seem to bring him down; even after just landing a twin pair of black _Getsuga Tenshou, _the Espada was still attacking him with a seemingly endless level of vitality. Nothing that Ichigo had done up to this point had seemed to faze Ulquiorra , and it was starting to make him feel a touch uncomfortable.

"Your arms are trembling," His deep voice called out into the night, "Kurosaki Ichigo."

"I'm trembling...from excitment." The captain countered, his chest rising and falling harshly with each breath. "And pretty soon...yer gonna be shaking yerself."

"Then this should leave you thrilled." He looked up just in time to see the stream of green light launching itself towards him, spread out over wuch a wide distance, that there was no possible chance to dodge.

He couldn't keep his mask on for much longer, and if that _cero_ hit...

_"Koten Zanshun!"_

A bright glare of orange light rushed past, overhead, cutting the _cero_ in half as if it were water, then drilling on through to the one who had summoned it. Unable to maintain their trajectory, the severed blast fell to the wayside, sparring the drained Ichigo.

Stunned as he was, Ulquiorra reflexively raised a hand to deflect what he thought would be an otherwise harmless blast. Imagine his surprise when pain erupted in his fist, spurting blood from the wound.

"Impossible!"

"Don't you _dare_...lay a finger on... A voice crossed the battlefield, as a figure stepped into view. "Kurosaki-kun." Ironically enough, she wasn't dressed for battle. Her pink tank top, blue levi's, and white apron certainly bespoke of it.

"I-Inoue!" Ichigo sputtered at his unlikely savior. "What're you-

"Be quiet." As her healing dome snapped around him, her words sounded sweet enough, but there was a deadly fire in her eyes that warned him to be silent, or some great tragedy might otherwise befall him. "And just leave this to me."

With a sharp tug, she tossed the white apron away where it blew into the ash filled wind and was lost from sight. Parting her hair with a finger, steely, violet grey eyes narrowed, smoldering with barely contained fury.

"This is....something I have to do myself."

Inoue Orihime had joined the fray.

"So you think you can interfere, woman?" Ulquiorra spoke disspasionately, but Ichigo had seen his face. He'd been surprised, even shaken by the sudden attack, moreso that it had slit his _cero_, then had enough force to pierce his _hierro_. "What makes you think you can-

"Shut up." Ulquiorra was silenced by another strike, this one shattering the earth where he'd been moments ago, as he reappeared on the rooftop of a nearby motel. "I won't listen to you, not anymore."

With a swirl of wind, she vanished.

Realizing she'd followed him, the espada whirled, but too late he was to stop her fist from sliding into his face, and he crumpled away from the blow, lurching back half a step, then another as her heel sank into his chest. A thin slit opened upon his cheek, and it was then that he realized how this woman, how this _human_, had harmed him.

Reaitsu. She'd gathered it at her core, then likewise dispersed it throughout her body, exponetially increasing both her speed and strength. She possesed nearly limitless potential before, and now, it seemed she'd put it excellent use. She was rejecting the boundaries on human strength on speed.

With every strike she grew faster, stronger, she'd even blunted his blade at one point when he'd tried to deflect her strikes. Realizing that close combat would surely fail, the espada propelled himself backwards with a punch of sonido, teal light swirling from his index finger.

She waved her hands, and a thin, orange light engulfed his _cero_, not only erasing it entirely before it could be fired, but effectively repelling a blast of her own, back at him. Stunned, he recognized that she'd not only rejected the event, but _reversed_ it, the pale light streaming from forearm to finger, viciously propelling itself forward with a monotonous roar.

In light of this, Ulquiorra took the only option left to him, other than certain doom, which would certainly be his fate if he were to continue the battle as he was now.

_"Bind."_ He declared, thrusting his sword forward. _"Murcielago!"_

As the black rain fell, Inoue and Ichigo could only look on in a mix of anger and awe as the espada emerged in his _resurreccion_. Each had seen Ulquiorra's release form in Hueco Muendo, but, now, if such a thing were even possible, his reiatsu felt as if it were practicaly quadruple its original strength.

"Come, woman." He beckoned, brandishing two pikes of energy. "That is, if you still believe you can defeat me." Inoue braced herself in response, but the espada beat her to the punch, crossing the distance between them with a buzz of sonido, and ramming his fist through her stomach.

Gasping, Orihime doubled over, trying to free the offending appendage wedged within her innards.

"No!" A low growl redirected his attention to Kurosaki, who glared dagger's at his hated foe. "Ulquiorra!"

"Change." Ulquiorra suddenly ordered, holding her by the throat, his hand still wedged within her gut, shattering the healing dome wrapped around her friend. "Change now, Kurosaki Ichigo or she dies."

Inoue clawed at the hand that held her, kicking and thrashing in his grip, but useless, to no avail.

"NO!" Ichigo bellowed suddenly, his voice becoming a distorted scream as a pillar of sickly red light exploded outward from his mask, lighting his eyes as if they were fireworks. He writhed suddenly, his features changing, warping, as the form took shape.

_Ba-dump._

**_(Music 30 seconds to mars: The mission)_**

_"That _form again?" Ulquiorra shook his head and sighed to himself as Ichigo calmly rose, shoulder blades still smoking from the black cero. "You're tactic hasn't changed any, I see."

Without a word, he tossed Inoue aside, not even glancing towards her as she smacked into the wall, leaving a bloody streak as she slid down the brick, and into the concrete.

Ichigo didn't reply....

Verbally, that is.

Once more, Ulquiorra winced as the monster rounded on him, brought down his sword, the full force of Tensa Zangetsu crashing down once more, meeting the energy pike that he'd threw up at the very last second.

It broke upon contact, but the espada had already leapt skyward, his jet black wings framing himself against the moon as he hung there, waiting for the hollow to pursue.

He was not dissapointed.

With a sharp buzz of sonido, Ichigo slammed into him, taking the espada out of the air, and back to the ground as the wrestled and tore at each other, breaking away mere moments before impact...

As the dust settled, sparks fl

His muscles strained and bulged, the concentration clear on his face as he warded off strikes, lunges, and stabs, any of which could, would kill, if they were allowed to land.

Ichigo showed no form in his fighting style, his strikes little more than wild lunges, uncontrolled swings that went wide instead of low.

But his first release, no matter how much he may have changed, was still no match for this transformation. With a sharp crack, his lances broke, and Tensa Zangetsu plowed through his right pectoral.

Propelling himself back, Ulquiorra gagged, choking on blood, trying not to wince, trying to regroup as he searched for any sort of weakness in his opponent. Spurring himself forward, he struck, his target not Kurosaki, but rather...

With a flash of sparks, Tensa Zangetsu went flying high into the air. The hollow's golden black eyes immediately shot upwards at his zanpakuto as his mind wrestled with a way to retrieve the free weapon. He flashed forward and found himself directly underneath the falling sword. Ulquiorra buzzed into sight then, his _katana _swinging forward smoothly at Ichigo's torso.

The Shinigami captain blocked the strike with his free hand while simultaneously reaching up and catching his sword as it fell towards him. He brought his newly-armed left hand down immediately upon catching his zanpakuto, the Espada in front of him defenseless against the coming attack. Ulquiorra leapt back at the last second, the katana's edge slicing into his chest, blood spilling out of it as he skidded back along his heel. He grimaced slightly as he opened his mouth to speak:

"I take back what I said before. You're even weaker than I thought-Nrgh!" The cause for his pained cry was the offending sword embedded in his chest, courtesy of the hollow.

A sly grin parted the mask, and from its maw, red light began to gather.

Ulquiorra stiffened. He'd seen this before but still, he could not bring himself to believe how easily this boy, this _human_, could bring himself to transform, to use hollow techniques, least of all...

_"Cero?!"_

"_Cero." _The beast answered, a smug, barking sound.

Ulquiorra didn't have time to react – the attack came from too short a distance. The red beam slammed against his chest and sent him spiraling backwards into the eastern wall of the town square. His vision was dizzying slightly as he stopped moving and the heat of the _cero _dissipated from his body, but he was able to see the night sky above him as he struggled to get up.

Ichigo was suddenly directly above him, his left arm outstretched and Zangetsu, its tip dancing with opaque light pointed directly at him, brushing up against his throat. He waited for a moment, reveling in the fear, the way the arrancar's eyes widened slightly, before he ground out the attack.

_"Getsuga Ten-_

There was a dull crunch suddenly, and he glanced down, to find the cause of it. As his head turned his eyes went wide in surprise, the massive axe slamming into his chest, nearly splitting him in two, then simultaneously flinging him into the street, where he bounced once, twice, three times before his own momentum carried him into what was left of the church.

A silvery cero slammed into his prone form, burying him as the white plaster and cement fell down around him.

"Weakling." An aged cracked voice grumbled as the figure took a few shuffling steps, bringing himself into view. "What made him think he could ever hope to stand up to the epsada?" His mask, in the distinctive shape of a five pointed crown was the immediate giveaway. With his unscarred eye, he glanced to the frozen form of Ulquiorra.

"And yet you nearly lost, Ulquiorra."

"You're assistance wasn't needed." Ulquiorra scowled at his rescuer, refusing to admit his thanks, brushing himself off rising to his feet, folding his wings with only a miniscule amount of effort. "Barragan Luissenbarn."

"Hmmph." The segunda snorted, glancing in the way of Halibel, who still remained deadlocked against Zaraki, "I say we finish what we came here for before..." Slowly his words trailed away, as a massive reaitsu slammed into them.

Searching for its source, his gaze traveled across the battlefield, then to Yachiru, who tended to Rukia, back to Kenpachi, then lastly, towards the Senkaimon that now opened between them and the crumbled remains of the church.

Two men stepped through, and even Barragan was prompted to frown as he saw their haori. Eight and thirteen. These two men were Jushirou Ukitake, captain of squad thirteen, and Shunsui Kyoraku, captain of squad eight.

Aizen had warned them, all espada, to never fight them. And with good reason of course. Stark had fallen to them both, and he was the Primera, something Barragan had to admit that he, grudgingly, acknowledged.

The same could not be said for Starrk's replacement, Lillenette. The girl had already lost, and most certainly she'd already been captured. Starrk at least, would've gone down fighting.

She probably begged for mercy before the vizard got her. However, and Aater all, he felt a sense of unease from these two. He'd only just been brought back. He had no desire to fight what would certainly be a losing battle, despite the odds being evened out in their favor.

"Jushirou." Kyoraku never once took his eyes of the espada, even as he spoke to his best friend, who was clearly, obviously anxious about something. "Go ahead, go check on your lieutenant. I'll keep an eye on these two."

The odds tipped slightly in their favor as the captain dissapeared, then reappeared on the nearby rooftop. But they'd been ordered not to underestimate these two, again he recalled.

And there it was, the hogyoku, lying at their feet, just within their grasp! Fuming silently, Barragan could only watch as Shunsui picked up the destructive orb, held it up for them to see.

Ulquiorra made the mistake of rushing forward, only to be effortlessly batted away, barehanded. Stunned, he skidded back on the pavement, cradling his now broken right arm. Kyoraku held the orb for but a moment longer. then hid it away within the folds of his haori.

"Looking for this, espada?" Shunsui teased jovially, his stern frown breaking for a moment into a wide smile that only infuriated Barragan further, and sent Ulquiorra into a sulk that he had failed to retrieve the object. "Well, why don't you come and get it, hmm?"

Even as he spoke, another senkaimon emerged, and who happened to step through but captains' Byakuya Kuchiki and Sajin Komamura, the two placing themselves firmly between the espada and their fellow confident captain. The tables had turned once more, and Barragan's face reddened with barely contained rage.

"Retreat." He snarled through clenched teeth, backing half a step away into an already waiting garaganta. "We're done here."

Halibel abruptly broke off her scuffle with Kenpachi, ripped open a garaganta to the left, and stepped through. Kenpachi smirked, however, and before anyone could warn him otherwise, he jumped at her, his sword raking a bloody scar across her left cheek, just before the tooth filled maw closed behind her.

Ulquiorra glanced back at the rubble where Ichigo was buried, sighed, then also retreated as more Senkaimon opened, and still other captain's, with their lieutenants' stepped through.

"Wait." He turned, one foot in the abyss, one foot out on solid ground, to find himself being addressed by Byakuya. The proud captain scowled at the self confident look the espada wore, his words still retaining that slightly irritated edge as his slate colored eyed narrowed coldly. "What are you planning, hollow?"

"You may have won the battle, shinigami." The espada replied cooly, his gaze sliding over the carnage that had been wrought. There, Ichigo struggled out of the rubble, to the left, Inoue gingerly tended to her own wounds, Rukia, recovering in the arms of her captain. He left a small chuckle as he stepped through, the void slowly slithering shut around him, "But you have not won the war. Your side cannot hope to defeat us."

With a sickening _pop_, the garaganta closed.

**Next time: The death of a cherished friend. Battle Plan? Revenge! **


	6. Competition

**_I aplogize if it seems like the goodguys are getting hosed. But hey, I DID warn you guys, this won't be a 'good guys pwn all story' hearts' and bodies will be broken, people will die, and hey, its war._**

**_Competition_**

--

She stood out on the patio for a moment longer, before she at last decided.

"Hashire." She whispered, unlocking her blade from its sheathe, drawing it, thrusting her sword out into the frigid air, where a thin blue light consumed its edge. "Itegumo!" The shikai initiated by her command, two vertical spikes emerged from snowflake frosted hilt at forty-five degree angles, the temperature dropping noticeably at its initial release.

She looked upon the sword for an answer, watching as the light, her reflection, danced off the zanpaktou's polished edge.

"Tougen!" She declared, slashing at the misty blades of grass, roaring towards a mighty tree, its leaves stripped bare the oncoming winds of autumn, and now fall. A surge of white light, similar to Kuchiki Rukia's _Hakuren_, surged out of the additional spikes, but unlike the onrushing wave of _Sode no Shirayuki_, the technique sharply curved up into the air, just before impact.

From the white orb, thousands of snowflakes began to fall to the earth, slowly, peacefully, like little white spirtes, the most harmless, peaceful creatures in the world.

Until they touched the earth. As the first, then second, and third fell, the terrain began to shift, tremble, as if something were trying, fighting, to dig its way out and into the night air.

With a sharp crack, they emerged, one after another. Wherever the snowfall had touched, a dozen giant icicles erupted from the frozen soil, soon covering the land in their mass of thick, deadly spires.

And Isane Kotetsu stood at the center of it all, unharmed, unperturbed, the epitome of calm. Or so she appeared, for though the facade remained impecable to all on the outside, inside, her soul was in turmoil, the exact reason she was leaking so much reaitsu at once

_Isane. _The clear voice of Itegumo, proud and arrogant, rang through her mind, its usual biting tone only slightly dampened by the worry it felt for its wielder._ Are you sure about this? If you fail, you WILL die. Do you understand?_

_'Hai.'_

_Itegumo_wasn't the most powerful ice type zanpaktou, _Hyourinmaru_ easily bested her in the department. Nor it was the most beautiful, for _Sode no Shirayuki_ had already lain claim to that title as well. However, _Itegumo's_ true power lay not with overflowing power, not in beautiful flowing dances, but rather subtle technique.

A technique, a release, that she must master if she wanted to be of any help in this renewed war.

Isane raised a hand, guiding the flow of ice and snow, bending it, shaping it to her will, allowing her consciousness to fall back into a more lax state of calm, searching for the spirit of her zanpaktou. Immediately, ice cold adrenaline coursed through her veins, eliciting a sharp gasp as Itegumo's power merged with her own. In this moment, she and Itegumo were one, one entity, not separate by the boundaries of flesh and steel.

Itegumo was always so happy whenever they worked together, it was almost as if....

When next her eyes opened, her irises glowed a bright silver, and a small smile crossed her otherwise pale lips. All at once, her shikai vanished, returning to the sealed state of her zanpaktou as the spirit manifested itself in a swirl of freezing wind.

She was beautiful Yuki-onna dressed in black and light blue. She wore a customized Furisode kimono: The top part of her clothing sported long sleeves that reached the ground, and the bottom, short, in contrast to the rest attire, though Isane expected this change of attire was solely to show of her figure. Her long, ebony black hair was clipped at the left side of her head at the front, while on the right, it hung loose, cut somewhat shorter, just enough to shade her eyes from the fierce wind.

It was Itegumo.

Her silvery eyes narrowed in amusement.

_Are you ready?_

A sudden surge of undue elation surged through her. Yes! Yes of course! The very snow and ice were her weapons, her defense, her sword and shield! And she could control them, from the smallest snowflake, to the largest glacier, with but a simple thought!

She needed this power!

Itegumo waved at the spikes Isane had made, and the spires shattered, now replaced by an immense valley, that of pure ice. She shared a look with her master, smirked, then darted into the abyss.

_Come, Isane. Try to subdue me._

Raising her sword high, Isane lunged, her sword meeting the thin air as Itegumo skipped away, leaving her master to pursue, to give chase once more. It was tedious, zipping in and out of the icy crevasses that rose beneath her feet, evading the icicles that rushed in from the wall, the floor, the air itself, each trying to claim her life in one way or another. This was the way, her way to train, where no one else could see, where no one else could help.

It was only Isane, her zanpaktou and the night itself. No one would be coming to bail her out, and she preferred it as such. Unsatisfied, the lieutenant willed herself to move faster, faster creating larger obstacles to avoid, exchanging blows with Itegumo all the while.

Never once did the zanpaktou tire.

But the strain of controlling the very elements themselves, and then evading...sure it took an immense toll upon Itegumo and her body. How? How could Itegumo so flawlessly manipulate the elements, trade blows with her, and _still_not falter? Even now, this stark white display would easily exhaust Isane, sap her of her strength, so why?!

_'More...just a little more..._

A spike erupted underfoot, piercing through the sole of her sandal, and into flesh. Crying out in pain, Isane lost her momentum, slid on the ice for a few moments more, before harshly crashing into the ground.

Itegumo lashed out with her bare foot, her heel cracking into Isane's chest with such force that Isane actually dropped her sword and doubled over hin pain, clutching at what had to be at least three broken ribs.

_Pathetic._

Itegumo stood over her, a slightly amused expression flitting across her otherwise disspassionate visage. Those same eyes widened suddenly, as Isane lunged, her sword striking straight and true through where her heart should be, splattering the ice with snow.

Silently, Itegumo reached down to clasp the blade firmly in hand.

_"Not enough."_ She made no move to dislodge the sword, but then again, she did not need to. _"This isn't enough for me, you know that."_Even as the shinigami looked on, the Itegumo she'd _thought_ to have stabbed, melted away into slush, then appeared to her right.

_"It never is."_

A curved black blade, tinged with white and red at the tip, found the lieutenant's throat. Beckoning once, the spirit forced her master to stand, so that they could see eye to eye.

Isane hung her head in defeat.

Itegumo, after all, was a pure elemental being. She did not bleed as humans bled, nor did she share their trivial worries. Her tears were ice, and her blood had long since frozen over. She came and went with the seasons as she pleased, her mood just as fickle as the weather.

_"Which is why, I pity you."_

The pressure at her throat lessened, then vanished entirely. "Nani?" Unsure as to why Itegumo had lowered her sword, Isane dared to glance up, and suddenly found the woman's pale face mere inches from her own.

_"What makes you think you can make me yield to you?"_ The proud spirit demanded of her, sharply prodding her master's neck with a stiff, frigidly frozen finger, _"What gives you the right to wield my power?"_

"I need it." Isane muttered through chattering teeth. "I need it to-

_"Oh?"_Itegumo interrupted with a sneer, surprising the lieutenant by tossing her blade away, where it landed, hilt up in the snow, thus freeing up her other hand to pin Isane against the wall of her barracks. _"You need it, you need my power, so that makes it alright then?"_

Dejected, Isane hung her head once more, the full weight of the words just now sinking. Itegumo was right, actually. Just because she needed the power, didn't give her the right to dominate the other half of her soul, her partner...

_"Well, have you ever considered_ my _needs?"_The words were so soft, so desperately quiet, that Isane nearly missed them, and even then, she couldn't be entirely sure of what Itegumo said next. _"Have you ever considered_ my _feelings?"_

"Huh?" Isane jerked her head up once more, stiffening, as her entire body went cold from an unexpected embrace, one arm encircling her waist, the other finding its way into the slit of her Shihakusho. Cold lips crushed against hers, the spirit's tongue working across her lips, which Isane instinctively, angrily tightened her teeth against, no matter how good it felt.

By the time Isane had conciously registered the kiss, Itegumo had already pulled away, wiping her frozen lips clean. She wore a look of dissapointment, reaching down to pick up her sword once more.

A sword which she now violently jammed into the wall beside Isane.

"Remember this." Itegumo warned angrily. _"I _had you first. That human will NOT come between you and me."

With that, she simply vanished.

Isane cried out in triumph, and sank to her knees, exhausted.

Her weakness disgusted her. She couldn't forget the sight of Ichigo, lying there in the rubble, left for dead. And he nearly had gone over to the other side, despite their best efforts to revive him. And now, her sword apparently didn't approve of them being together.

Unbelievable.

_'Ichigo..._

In times like these, she could only pray for his well being, and that he'd return to her safely.

--

_'Isane...._

Chestnut brown eyes weakly fluttered open, closed, then opened once more. Ichigo already knew where he was, and didn't have to look to realize the sorry shape he was in. His body was hooked up to a machine, and a breathing tube had been stuffed down his throat. There was an I-V drip beside the bed, feeding him vital fluids.

His body was heavily bandaged, he could tell that much, and right away, it was obvious the wound would leave an irremovable mark upon his flesh. Yet another scar had been added to his already pockmarked skin, another mark of battle that would fade, but never truly dissapear.

After all, he'd nearly been cut in half. He was lucky to be alive just to see his scars. Grimacing at the thought, Ichigo now tried to sit up, but found himself unable to do so. Strange, there wasn't anything binding him down, and its not like the blanket wrapped about his knees had enoughweight to pin him down or anything...

Shrugging it off as nothing, the vizard gripped the pole guardrails of his bed, and tried to push himself up with his feet, and again, felt no movement in his lower regions. His arms worked just fine, but anything below his waist refused to respond.

Dread crept up upon him.

He couldn't feel it.

He couldn't feel his legs. He'd been willing to shrug it of as his limbs falling asleep, but no, though he strained with all his might, there simply was no feeling or range of motion in his legs at all. Dreading what he might find, the captain looked down, pulled up the sheet and immediately wished he hadn't as he beheld the charred and ashen limbs. Tears watered at his eyes, and his mouth worked silently around the breathing tube, for the device prevented him from speaking.

He wanted it out!

Gagging, he clawed at the plastic tube, seeking purchase on its slippery surface as the the machine monitoring his heart went into chaos alongside him. Panic seized him, crippling his strength with raw, inhuman terror. At last , as his nails dug in, he found the handhold he sought. With nary a thought, ripped the invasive breathing apparatus away, and no sooner had the tube cleared his throat, then the unearthly scream chased it back out.

_"AAAAAAAAH!"_

Sensing the tumultous terror surging within him, his reiatsu rose to the fore, ready to fight off this unseen enemy that plagued its master so. He continued to scream, his eyes turning golden black as the fury swept up within him.

A nurse burst into the room, took one look at him, and the crater his spiritual pressure had created and ran back out.

"Unohanna-taichou!"


	7. Broken, but not Beaten

**_I aplogize if it seems like the goodguys are getting hosed. But hey, I DID warn you guys, this won't be a 'good guys pwn all story' hearts' and bodies will be broken, people will die, and hey, its war._**

**_Broken, not Beaten_**

--

_(Seireitei/Intensive care unit)_

"S-Sir! She can't have any visitor's right now-oh my!"

"Shaddap!" A coarse voice snapped, followed by the sound of breaking glass, then the clang of broken machinery, and many other crashes, as tables and desks were tossed aside. "You're in my way and I don't have time for you!"

"F-Fuku Taichou!" Many protestations could be heard of the chaotic din outside the halls. "Do you have any idea how much that cost?!"

"Put it on my tab! Now outta my way and lemme through!"

Abarai Renji burst into the waiting room, the very epitome of fury as he stalked down the halls, searching for the room number of his dearest and most precious friend. If someone wanted to pick a fight with him right now, he'd be more than happy to oblige.

But as he rounded the corner, his blood cooled slightly.

There, stepping out of room fifty-three, was his captain. His usual stone faced expression was marred by a slight frown, and his typical stern glare was now filled to the brim with a mixture of sadness and exhaustion.

He must've been in a hurry too, for his precious scarf and haori where nowhere to be seen on his person either.

"T-Taichou!" Renji straightened himself up instinctively, as he always did whenever his captain was around. Granted, he still strove to surpass Byakuya Kuchiki someday, and right now, he wasn't particularly in the mood for formalities, but by no means could he deny his commanding officer the respect he so well deserved. That, and he still had to ask him for permission to date Rukia, so....

"Renji." Byakuya began quietly, his eerily calm voice betraying the slightly perturbed expression he wore, and at that moment, Abarai Renji felt like a deer caught in the headlights. "You're trembling. I suggest you steady yourself before entering," Byakuya stole another long glance at the door he'd only just exited moments ago. "_That_ room. And yes, Rukia is inside. I'm sure she would...._appreciate_ your company."

His eyes narrowed as he finished, but by then, he had already passed his lieutenant, and was on his way down the hall. Renji gulpged lightly, noting that his captain didn't have his sword with him at the moment, and tried to keep the thought of Senbonzakura shiscabobbiing him, out of his head.

But then again, did the all-knowing Byakuya Kuchiki just know all about _that_ too?

Trying to ignore the implied threat, Renji took a deep breath, steeled himself for the worst, and stepped forward, his hand clasping the door knob and giving it a good hard yank.

"Oi, Rukia I...

The words trailed off, and what Renji saw nearly broke his heart in half. He'd butted heads with a few of the nurses to get here, withstood an obviously irate Byakuya Kuchiki, but now, as the door parted at his touch, he immediately found himself wishing he _hadn't_ come here.

"Rukia...

She looked so frail, so tiny, hooked up to the life support machines, her pulse an erratic blip-blip on the heart monitor, never gone, but never perfectly steady either. There were so many machines, he couldn't tell where technology ended, and Rukia Kuchiki began.

Damn those espada! What were they after this time?! Clearly they'd let Rukia live, and that could mean only one thing. They wanted to send a message.

_Oi! _A familair duo of voices, that of a female and a young boy piped up suddenly. _You're crushing us, Renji!_

"Eh?" Renji hadn't noticed his hand tightening around Zabimaru's hilt, and now, as he pulled it away, he found that the digits were bloodied, a result of squeezing their hilt too hard. "Oh...sorry."

Abarai Renji hung his head, giving her hand a weak squeeze of assurance, as if he'd she'd just said something meaningful. Idly, he noticed how small her hand was, just like the rest of her.

Kami, she looked so godamn fragile. A single tear dripped down his cheek, and he managed a shaky laugh, for the pulse on her heart monitor had picked up, just a little, tiny bit.

"Yeah, it'll be alright. You just hang in there, Rukia. Keep fighting, and I'll do the rest."

Glancing down at Zabimaru, Renji gave an exasperated sigh.

Meanwhile, the sounds of shouting down the hall grew ever louder.

"Ichigo?"

--

"Isane!" He cried out, "Where the hell is Isane?!"

"Calm down Kurosaki-taichou!" His men struggled to restrain him, and were failing miserably as he buckled and thrashed in the bed. "We don't _know_ where she is right now!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS?!" Ichigo snarled, and chucked the third over his shoulder, only to be pinned down by many, many more of his subordinates. Still, he fought like a madman, desperate to get out of this bed Even without his legs, he still had his arms, and as long as he had those, he could pound em' like there was no tomorrow.

"Wait! Then what happened to Rukia?!"

"She's in intensive care-

One of the men realized his folly and clamped a hand over his mouth.

Too late.

"WHAT?!" Ichigo howled, his muscles bulging slightly from the strain. "Whaddya mean she's in intensive care?!" He wrestled with them for a moment longer, tossing them aside, and just when he thought he'd be free...

"Bakudo #61: Rikujokuro."

A sharp pain exploded in his stomach, the kido pinning him in place. Growling, Ichigo jerked his gaze upward to see who had imprisoned him, and met none other than the slate colored eyes of Byakuya Kuchiki, who stood beside Retsu Unohana.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," He scowled down at his fellow taichou, "Is that any way for a _captain_ to behave?"

Ichigo snarled, his eyes darting this way and that as he was finally forced back into bed, then strapped down for good measure. His legs...what was wrong with his legs?! Inoue couldn't do a thing to help him, after all, she'd already tried, but there was a heavy reaitsu coating his wounds, rendering her powers useless.

His eyes still hadn't changed back, and now that he'd demanded to see Isane, he'd been told she was unavailable. When he'd demanded to know the reason, Hanataro had come in, saying that he'd found the lieutenant outside, unconcious, and badly injured. This of course left Ichigo livid, and it'd taken captain Unohanna's intervention to stay his wrath and hold him down. But Ichigo hadn't been in the mood for reasoning.

Meaning that Unohanna had to beat the tar out of him until he didn't have the strength to fight back, let alone breathe. So here he lay, bound and restrained in Sekki-Sekki cuffs like some sort of criminal. Seeking an escape, his mind reflected on his unique condition, and the miracle that he was even alive.

The diagnosis had been grim. In addition to a fractured collarbone, broken legs, a punctured lung, AND heart failure. His hips had been crushed. Crushed, but not amazingly left whole. They were crumbled, cracked, stuck together only through the jolt of the initial impact. Any movement, no matter how minor, could cause a chain reaction and utterly shatter the bones. Therefore, he'd been ordered to a week's worth of bed rest while he wrestled with a decision that could change his life forever.

Surgery, Byakuya had told him. Either that, or spend the rest of his life confined to a chair.

Ichigo shook his head fretfully. He didn't like the sound of it. Not only was the chance for the procedure's success terribly slim, but if the procedure did fail, which it was more than likely to, he'd lose all mobility below his hips forever.

And even if it _did_ succeed, there was no definite chance that his mobility would come back, at least not right away. It'd take weeks upon weeks of physical therapy, days and days of excruciating pain as he struggled just to walk, something he'd taken for granted only yesterday.

It was his decision, he knew that, and still, he struggled with it. He had no place in the Gotei Thirteen like this, despite everyone's assurances that he could still get around in a wheelchair, something he was vehemently against being confined to.

How the hell could he fight in a wheelchair?! What good was he with limited mobility?! One kick, one single kick, and that was all it would take to topple him over and leave him defenseless.

His reaitsu began to surge again, only to be absorbed into the cuffs.

Well, at least he didn't have to do any paperwork now, what with the fact that he was essentially on injured , realizing that he'd escaped the bane of all captains' existence, at least for now, Ichigo allowed himself a small bitter chuckle.

"Urusai." He gave a long, drawn out sigh. "Go to hell, Byakuya."

Ichigo remained there for the rest of the night, refusing to leave his bed, or take the wheel chair that lay there for him. His deep brown eyes were watching the smoke from his cigarette float into the night sky in thin and wispy strands, the pale tendrils of burning tobacco reflecting that yellow briefly before it flowed into the blue of the full moon above. His head tilted back as the smoke rose into the air, above the fat and lonely moon, and into the eternal that stretched beyond.

The stars always made him think about things that were far too big to truly comprehend. The afterlife, as far as he knew, was understood to be the Soul Society. And while he'd never been in the King's Realm, he didn't imagine it being the stars themselves. Why would anyone want to live in the vacuum of space, anyway? Surely the King wouldn't live there?

"It's your choice, Kurosaki. Make the right one."

The older captain stalked out, leaving Ichigo to watch the moon in solitude once more. He looked up at it in silent admiration, his eyes tracing along the scars and seas that marred its surface. Karakura was very rarely awarded such a clear night as this – usually the moon was trapped behind a haze of yellow smog and green fluorescents. Tonight, however, the moon was full and white and close; Ichigo imagined that he could touch it if he were to only reach out his arm and try…

_Try_.

The word struck him suddenly.

_'That you, old man?_

_Wait the week, then try. _The spirit repeated calmly, his voice fading away into the night. _Of course, that too, is YOUR choice, Ichigo._

Ichigo stared at his sword for a moment longer.

"Huh." He turned his gaze to the wheelchair, eyeing it warily, afraid to approach it. He wanted out of this room, but the thought of placing himself in the wheelchair was too much to possibly bear.

Finally he frowned, and grabbed the cuff on his right wrist, forcing wave after wave of spiritual pressure into the metal. His muscles bulged briefly, and the restrainer, unable to tolerate the reiatsu, tore away. Now, freed of the limiter that was draining him, Ichigo ripped away the other, then turned his glare to the wheelchair once more.

"Byakurai." He muttered, and the spot next to the wheelchair burst into flame. The captain scowled. He just couldn't bring himself to blast the infernal device, as the wheelchair was his only way outta here.

Footsteps alerted him.

"A-Ah! I-Ichigosan?!"

"Eh?" He eyed the door as the shadow approached, then relaxed, only slightly when he recognized his lieutenant, Hinamori Momo. She'd been on her way to see him, and obviously that little trick had startled her, and the wrecked room obviously didn't help his cause much, considering he'd had a major freakout only hours ago.

"What did I tell you? It's not Ichigo-san..."

He jerked a thumb towards his chest, smirking despite himself.

"It's Kurosaki-_taichou_."

"S-Sumimasen, Ichigo-san!" Hinamori gave a curt bow, and he sighed. Poor thing, she still wouldn't call him captain, but maybe two years wasn't enough time to heal, considering how much she'd depended on Aizen.

He grimaced at the thought, but at the same time realized he'd be needing her help. And to do that, he'd have to get over his fear of being confined to that chair. "Now, can ya gimme a hand with that?"

Momo followed his gaze to the wheelchair.

"B-But Unohana-taichou said-

"Oh?" Ichigo smiled dangerously as his gaze locked with her own. He wanted out of this room, and no one, not even Head captain Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai, and certainly not his own lieutenant, was going to stop him. "And what did I, _your_ _captain_ say?"

Hinamori blushed, but he had no idea why she'd blush after something like that.

"T-To get you your wheelchair."

"Good." His smile thinned somewhat as she complied, and brought the infernal device to him. Carefully, he hoisted himself over the bars, and with great effort, planted himself in the chair. Hinamori took the handlebars, and promptly wheeled him out of the room.

"A-Arigatou." She managed at length, blushing hotly once more.

"For what?" Ichigo glanced up at her, frowning at the thought that he had to look up thanks to his sitting position.

Goddamned wheelchair!

"Y-You told me what to do." She replied, as if that explained everything. "A-And you didn't let me go with you to return the Hogyoku. If-If you had, I might be the one in the wheelchair now." Ichigo blinked once, twice then three times, a surge of pity filling his heart as he came to understand her words. Hitsugaya was right. Hinamori _needed _someone to serve under, otherwise, she just didn't have a purpose in life.

"Don't mention it." He began quietly. "Now, we need to go find-

"Lieutenant Kotetsu?" Hinamori finished for him, eliciting a frown from Ichigo as they rounded a corner and everyone stopped to stare. "You wanted to see her...right?"

"How'd you know?"

Hinamori blushed for the third time, and Ichigo prayed with all his heart that she wasn't falling for him. "You were shouting across the hall. Renji heard you and told me." She giggled a bit with this, and his frown deepened for the fifth time today.

_'Ah, crap. I was right. She's got a crush on me.'_

**_Next time: Of Broken Hearts and Broken Dreams._**


End file.
